EWS experience.

Before joining SZABIST I knew I could write well but had no confidence. I had no idea what my voice (writing) would sound like. Being a part of the EWS class I have learnt a lot, all that I couldn't learn in my past school life. I now know how to keep the reader engaged, I have hopefully discovered my voice and developed a mature style of writing. Sitting in the EWS class I always thought that English should be a subject throughout my course, and would still want English as a subject. Lastly, I would thank my teacher Bina Shah, who helped me develop my writing skills and for all the help she has provided me during the course.

Propaganda

This photo was taken by photographer David Kirby, for United Colors of Beneton.

This advertisement was to promote awareness of aids and its consequences.

The image clearly dipicts a member of a family seriously hospitalized and almost in his last stages of life, due to aids.

The hidden propaganda is to evoke fear and promote safe sex.

Funny Story

I was having a routine conversation on phone with my friend Dina. Talking about how did our day go, what went wrong and her daily stories about her 'crush'. While talking to her there came another call on call-waiting on Dina's line.
Dina: "Sohail don't say anything I am adding my friend on conference."
Me: "hhhmmmm... ok."
Dina: "hey Christine!!"
Christine: " Hey Dina.. listen, tell me the way to this shoe shop called 'Scandals'."
Dina: oh... ho straight from the down mall, take first right, then there will be a 'Lingiri'
(Lin-Gi-Ri) shop, then take first left, and you will find 'Scandals'."
(listening to this I jump in the conversation)
Me: " Dina, isn't it Lingerie?
Dina: "Sohail I said Lin-Gi-Ri, so that you don't understand.
Christine: " I am off, you guys talk."
Dina: " Sohail you are so bad, you embarrassed me in front of my friend."
Me: " hahahahah... Lin-Gi-Ri"
Since that day Dina is called Lin-Gi-Ri by me and her friends.

Debate Topics

1. "Stem cells is a God gift, so why not legalise it?"
2. "If polygyny is allowed then why not polyandry?"
3. "Euthanasia is another name for murder."
4. " Its great, I can clone my girlfriend now, don't you think so?"
5. "Atheist are people without faith and they should be marginalized."

October 8- Never come back.

I was on a summer trip in Islamabad, when my uncle called me and asked me to grab my handy cam and wear my joggers. I thought we were heading for hiking or may be going for a trolley ride. I was all ready to leave and was all exited as ever. As the car started moving, I immersed myself in the beautiful scenery of Islamabad, the forests, mountains and the clear blue skies.

I usually sleep while travelling and thats exatcly what I did, I slept in the car. As the car approached its destination, my uncle shook me and said " there we are". It took me sometime to figure out where we were, holding my handy cam(shooting my home video) I asked my uncle, "what place is it?", he replied " Muzaffarabad".

As I started shooting the video I became nostalgic. Every scene reminded me of October 8-the day when an earthquake of 7.6 magnitude struck Muzaffarabad causing millions of lives and ultimate destruction. From the LCD of my camera I could see destruction, people trying to rebuild their homes but all my mind could imagine and picture was dead people. I could only remember the shock that the entire nation went through. The holy month of Ramadan seemed like a period of mourning. The day of Eid went without any celebration. The only thing I loved was the unity amongst the people. Everyone tried to help in anyway they could.

Back home in Karachi, while watching the video that I shot while asking my uncle where we were, the camera's view went from my uncle saying " Muzafarabad" to the ground and was in that position for a long time.- showing how shocked I was to hear where I stood.

Even today I pray, please God make this day a history and let this day never come back, not only for Pakistan but for the entire world.

My Terry is still missing. (9/11)

Last night was a little hard, my wife (Terry) and me had an argument over having a child. She wanted a child but I was not ready for it. I asked her to abort the child. Depressed and unwilling, she called her friend to accompany her to the hospital for her abortion.
Her friend Sharron had her office on the 45th Floor, North tower of World Trade Center. Terry called me for the final time from Sharron’s office, asking me if this is what I wanted her to do. I replied “Yes!” without even caring about her feelings.
It wasn’t late enough, the news of a plane crashing the tower spread like some virus (peple yelling on the streets). I was hoping that it is not the North Tower, which the plane collided into. My hands turned completely blue and cold. My hands were so numb that I could not even turn the television set on for the news. I was praying to Jesus to do some kind of miracle.
I left my house running down for nowhere. I kept asking, what tower Terry is in? I had lost all my senses. I could hear people scream. Each person I turned, hoping she is my wife. I could see her everywhere, yet nowhere. Finally I heard someone yell… “It’s the North Tower Daddd, I can see another plane coming close".
This was the time I realized that Terry isn’t coming back. I sat on the street unknowing where I am and what time it is. I could see people run, scream, cry and cry. Now all what I could see was dust coming towards me, like a dam has broken and the water forcing out like flood.
One of the police officers carried me to a safer zone and later dropped me home. “Tens of thousands of people must have died”- the police officer said while exiting my house. Only few thousand bodies were found later on. But my Terry is still missing.
I don’t know who to blame. Should I blame those Muslims who killed my Terry to get their ‘God knows what message’ across? Or my own self, who pushed her toward her death? But what difference will my opinion make? My…my Terry is still missing.

Thesis- "Shooting an Elephant"

Meandering through his inner conflicts, Orwell could have still taken a stand, but he immersed himself in crowd pleasing.